Improvement in car-brakes



. w -zsh t-sh r1.. C. HlGusnN. ees ee Car Brake.

No. 48,810. Patented July 181865- WI NESSES N PETERS. PHOTO-UTHOGRAPMER.WASHINGTONy D C.

- 2 'Sheets-Sheet 2Q C. H. GUSTIN.v

Car Brake.

Patented July 18, y'1865.-'

INVENTOR;

M I L w L. g Q

WITNESSES @,576 da? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. GUSTIN, 0F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-BRAKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 48,810, dated July 18,1865.

To all whom it may concern: l

Beit known that I, CHARLEs H. GUsrIN, of Worcester, in the county ofWorcester and State of Massach u setts,but at present residing atToronto, Canada Vest, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Car- Brakes 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which-Figure 1, Sheet l, is a vertical longitudinal section through arailroad-car truck having my invention applied toit. Fig. 2 is a bottomviewl of my brake. Fig. 3, Sheet 2, is atransverse section takenvertically through the truck and one of its axles. Fig. 4 shows thebrake released. Figs. 5 and 6 are inside views of the brake-plates.Figs. 7 and 8 are views of the brake-plates with movablefriction-plates.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

This invention relates to certain novel improvements on railroad-carbrakes which operate directly upon the axles of the wheels instead ofupon the wheels themselves, and effect the stopping of a train of carsby means of friction-clamps of considerable area being brought togetherwith great force.

Thenatureofmy invention consistsin the applicationoflaterally-adjustable friction-clamps upon the axles of truck-wheels insuch manner that these clamps are suspended from and sustained by thetruck-frame independently of the contrivances which are employed foractuating them, thereby transferring all the strain upon thefriction-clamps consequent upon braking up a train directly to thetruck-frame, and enabling me to employ comparatively light rods forconnecting together and acting upon said clamps, as will be hereinaf'terdescribed.

My invention also consists in connecting together the friction-clamps ofthe two axles of a truck-frame by means of longitudinal connecting-rodsin such manner that these rods will operate upon all the clamps simultaneously, but perform no part in preventing these clamps from turningwith their respective axles when the brakes are appliedfas will behereinafter described.

My invention also consists in providing for renewing thefriction-surfaces of the clamps at pleasure without the necessity for arenewal of the clamps themselves, as will be hereinafter described.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand my invention, I willdescribe its construction and operation.

In the accompanyin gdrawin gs, A represents a truck-frame, B B thewheels thereof, and C C the axles, all of which parts may be made in theusual manner.

D D are circular plates, which may be constructed with rounded hubs a a,as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, Sheet 2, for the purpose of giving the plateslirmer bearing and also increasing the area of their friction-surfaceswithout increasingtheirdiameter. Thesefriction-plates are securedrigidly to their respective axles C C, at the middle of the lengththereof, so as to turn with them.

E E are laterally-adj ustable clamping-plates the friction-surfaces ofwhich are made to conform to the surfaces of the friction-plates D D, asshown by Sheet2. These clamps are formed with hubs b b', and also withwings c c and vertical hangers d d'. The clamps E E are constructed withrims e e, which project over the circumferential edges of the'clamps E Eand prevent dirt or other substances from getting between thefriction-surfaces.

The hangers or vertical plates d d of the friction-clam ps are attachedat their upper ends to the truck-frame A by means of transverse guidesor staples ff and short cross-pins g g, so that said clamps can be movedlatererally up to or from the friction-plates D D by means of levers andconnecting rods, as will be hereinafter explained.

The wings o c have pins c2 projecting from them and entering the wings cc loosely, and around these pins or guides springs d2 are coiled for thepurpose of spreading apart the clamps or each pair of clamps when theyare released, as shown in Fig. 4, Sheet 2.

Eyes are formed on the extremities of the wings c c for the purpose ofattaching the suspension-chains h h to the clamps. These chains beingattached to strong eyes t' t' on the rails of the truck-frame, thetiTwill eiiectually prevent the clamps from turning or being twisted whenthey are forcibly applied to the friction- 2 casio plates I) D, Whetherthe train be moving backward or forward.

G G represent two longitudinal connectingrods extending from one axle tothe other, and receiving in eyes formed on their extremities thecylindrical portions of the hubs b b' of the clamps E E'. The rod G hasa grooved wheel, j, applied loosely upon it at the middle of its length,over which passes a chain, 7:, one end of which is affixed to the middleofthe rod G', andthe other end to the extremity of the short arm of ahorizontal 1ever, H. This lever is pivoted to a post, A', projectingdown from frame A, and is attached to the brake-shaft J by means ofachain, J', as clearly shown in Fig. 2. When the chain J'is Wound uponthe brake shaft or rod J the lever H will take up the slack of chain Land forcibly draw both rods, G G', toward each other simultaneously.This will cause the frictioirclam ps E E' of both axles to impinge uponthe surfaces ofthe friction-plates D D, thus offering considerableresistance to the turning of the axles and linally, by increasing thepressure of said clamps, stopping the train. When the brake-rod J isreleased the springs d2 between the two pairs of friction-clamps willagain distend or separate them and relieve the friction-plates fromfriction.

By my invention I suspend each cne of the friction-clamps at threepoints, and make the suspension-chains serve as staysfor preventing anystrain upon the connecting-rods G G'. By this means l dispense with muchcomplication in the construction and arrangement ot' the contrivaucesfor Workin g the friction-clamps.

In Figs. 7 and 8 I have represented a mode of renewing thefriction-surfaces of the clamps, which consists in forming these clampsWith v to the laterally adj depressions in their surfaces adapted forreceiving their segments s s, which may be secured in their recesses bymeans of screws, or in any other suitable manner. W'hen these segmentswear out they can be removed and new ones substituted, thus obvialingthe necessity of renewing the clamps.

. Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The employment 0f laterally-adjustable friction-clamps E E', whichare suspended from the truck-frame, in combination with intermediatefriction-plates, D, which are secured to the axles ofthe car-Wheels,substantially as described.

.2. The construction of the' friction-clamps with Wings on them,substantially as'described.

3. Suspending the friction-clamps by means ot' hangers d d',staple-guides ff, and pins g g, substantially as described.

4. rlhe removable friction-plates S S, applied L 'ustable clamps,substantially as described.

5. The connecting-rods G G', applied to the hubs of the friction-clamps,in combination with the loose pulleyj, chain k, and lever H, arrangedsubstantially as described.

6. So applying the laterally-adjustable friction-clamps that the strainwhich is received by them will be sustained by the truck-frame insteadof' by the connecting-rods G G', which are used to adjust said clamps,substantially as described.

CHARLES H. GUSTIN.

Vitnesses:

D. W. LINN, R. J. KIMBALL.

